The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus and a reproducing system for reproducing video data captured and recorded by a video camera etc., and a server. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus and a reproducing system capable of not only reproducing video data but also inserting so-called background music (BGM), and a server to be used therefor.
In recent years, video capturing apparatuses such as video cameras more and more increase range of function, and a video capturing apparatus having a function of inserting BGM, when recorded video data are edited, in addition to audio data recorded with video recording is already put into practical use.
Some of such video cameras and the like having a function of inserting BGM are configured to store music selectable as BGM. In such video cameras, if a user selects a piece of music as BGM during reproduction, the video camera plays the selected music data instead of playing audio data collected when the video data was captured.
However, when the video camera is configured to store music as described above, since the capacity of storing music in the video camera is limited, there is a problem in that the number of music selectable as BGM is naturally limited.
In relation to such a problem, for example, Patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-164229) discloses an information reproducing apparatus which is configured to search an external server for music that was popular when the images were captured by using the shooting date as a key, and download the music data, when a so-called slide show is executed to successively reproduce images including shooting date information captured by a digital camera.
However, when video data captured by using a video camera etc. and music data of the music selected as BGM are reproduced simultaneously, a reproduction time of the video data and a reproduction time of the music data selected and downloaded are not the same (or do not have the same or almost the same length) in many cases. Therefore, when both are reproduced simultaneously as they are, and the reproduction time of the video data is longer than that of the music data, only the video will be continuously played without any music even though the BGM has already been finished. On the contrary, the reproduction time of the video data is shorter than that of the music data, the reproduction of the video may be finished before the BGM is still playing, and the user may have no clue as to what music is inserted as BGM.
In other words, when the video data and the BGM whose reproduction times can be hardly expected to be the same or almost the same length in general are played simultaneously as they are, one of them is finished while the other is still playing. This causes the user to feel incompleteness, and there is a problem in that, even though the BGM is inserted, this does not provide an effect of sufficiently satisfying the user.
In the conventional art, even though an external server is used, music data of the music searched by the external server are downloaded regardless of reproduction history and the like in the reproducing apparatus. In this case, there is a problem in that the music already downloaded and used as BGM may be selected again. This provides a disadvantageous result to a user when the user wants to apply unique impression to each piece of video data.